The longest time a guitar has been with you?

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by woodbox

Thanks for asking for a picture.
I'm no photographer, but here's a shot of the 1928 0-18 Grandma bought new and gifted to me Christmas of 1965.
I was 11 1/2, so just shy of 54 yrs ago.

Notice it is resting on the original case.
I have a newer 5 latch arched top Geib style case it lives in for protection, but the old fiber case is still here too.
And I have some picks Grandpa used as well.

As I mentioned, my first breakthrough was the bass line from the Animals song, but the bass line of Twist and Shout was next.
Day Tripper was a huge milestone.. had to use open strings.. followed by Roy Orbisons Pretty Woman.
Oh, and Paul Revere and the Raiders riffs were fun to work out... Kicks was a big one for me.

First chords were one finger versions of C and G, gradually adding second and third fingers.
And wrestling with the F chord.. oh my, what a struggle, and I loved every moment of it on my Martin.. my first guitar.
I have thanked my Grandma thousands of times.
Little did she know the long and far of her gift.

Wow! Thanks for picture! Still looking great at 91-years old!

This guitar is a “family inheritance”....Yes, Awesome Grandma!

[Photojeep]

The guitar I've had the longest is an asian-made "Drifter" by Continental (??) that I bought 47 years ago and is now basically unplayable. I wanted it because it looked like the ones I saw being played on TV. I was about 15 years old and while I'd been playing for about 3 years. I didn't know the first thing about guitars beyond knowing about a dozen chords but I saw what people on TV were playing and I knew my little starter guitar just "wasn't it"

My oldest still playable guitar is my Applause acoustic that I bought in 1982-3 (can't remember exactly when). She's about 36 years old or so and still sounds pretty good. She lives in our vacation home and I still pull her out from time to time.

Best,
PJ

[jgmaute]

Originally Posted by woodbox

Thanks for asking for a picture.
I'm no photographer, but here's a shot of the 1928 0-18 Grandma bought new and gifted to me Christmas of 1965.
I was 11 1/2, so just shy of 54 yrs ago.

Notice it is resting on the original case.
I have a newer 5 latch arched top Geib style case it lives in for protection, but the old fiber case is still here too.
And I have some picks Grandpa used as well.

As I mentioned, my first breakthrough was the bass line from the Animals song, but the bass line of Twist and Shout was next.
Day Tripper was a huge milestone.. had to use open strings.. followed by Roy Orbisons Pretty Woman.
Oh, and Paul Revere and the Raiders riffs were fun to work out... Kicks was a big one for me.

First chords were one finger versions of C and G, gradually adding second and third fingers.
And wrestling with the F chord.. oh my, what a struggle, and I loved every moment of it on my Martin.. my first guitar.
I have thanked my Grandma thousands of times.
Little did she know the long and far of her gift.

Great guitar, and it's a slot head!! Go Grandma go! I bought a new 2014 Blueridge BR-371 for my Granddaughter the year she was born which I'm taking a decade or so to break in for her. Hopefully one day she'll feel about it like you feel about yours, and who knows, if she turns into a player, (she's playing the uke now) maybe she'll get the 00-21NY when I'm no longer playing it (like when I'm dead).

Rayna's guitar

[tippy5]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

46 years..... I still have the Yamaki Deluxe Folk I bought with my graduation money in 1973.

WOW that's exactly my story. I bought it in Manhattan beach from the venerable Gene Leis Studios. I road my bike to the studio/store a lot. I kept hammering away on the under $200 guitars that he had. After a few weeks he adjusted a 165$ Yamaki Deluxe Folk to $120. He was nice and he jammed most days with his jazz trio in an adjoining studio. I strapped my prized beauty to my back (with no case) and pedalled home 10 miles away. Playing it many times along the South bay bike strand.

Thanks for the reminder STORMIN....

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by jgmaute

Great guitar, and it's a slot head!! Go Grandma go! I bought a new 2014 Blueridge BR-371 for my Granddaughter the year she was born which I'm taking a decade or so to break in for her. Hopefully one day she'll feel about it like you feel about yours, and who knows, if she turns into a player, (she's playing the uke now) maybe she'll get the 00-21NY when I'm no longer playing it (like when I'm dead).

Rayna's guitar

You’re an awesome Grandma too!

While reading yours and Woodbox’s stories, this song came to my mind, though not exactly related...one of my favourite country songs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IHU...&feature=share

[Cool555]

Hi Jim. Thanks for sharing your story! Great pictures!

You’re second or third in the running for “The Record Holder”!!! There’s so many posts that I kind of lost count already...

Originally Posted by PHJim

The guitar that's been with me the longest is my 1962 D-21. I bought it when it was 16 years old. It is now 57 years old.


My guitar when I'd had it for about a year. We still have that old yard sale tenor guitar that my son Clay is playing (or pretending to play at three years old), but I don't really count it.


My old D-21 in a photo that's a few years old. Pretty close to how it (and I) look today.

[mcmars]

I got a phone call from a music girlfriend in 1971 about a gibson for sale for $165. She had another girlfriend whose brother was in army overseas (VN) and he was wanting her to sell the gibson for him.

It has been my "go-to" guitar all my musical life and has survived a lifetime of being a river guide and living and traveling all over. I got the crappy plastic/metal bridge replaced with a custom mahogany bridge in about 1975 by luthier Mike Stevens in college days in Austin, before Mike became in charge of the fender custom shop. That really changed the tone and Mike's set up was also amazing.

I think all the travel dried up the wood and gave it an amazing tone over time. I wore out the frets and had the neck refreted by a very skilled luthier using original sized frets.

2 winters ago I had it hanging near a humidifier for a month and I noticed the bridge starting to peel up on the back corners. I need to get it to a good luthier that will not muck it up, till then it sits in it's case, detuned and has fresh bovida pouches changed out every 6 months. Poor Gibby! It has been my best buddy for a long time and I am sure it will be with me to the end. I have quite a nice collection of awesome guitars that come and go, but the Gibby stays.

Not sure how to attach image for this site, looks like I need a URL??

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by mcmars

I got a phone call from a music girlfriend in 1971 about a gibson for sale for $165. She had another girlfriend whose brother was in army overseas (VN) and he was wanting her to sell the gibson for him.



It has been my "go-to" guitar all my musical life and has survived a lifetime of being a river guide and living and traveling all over. I got the crappy plastic/metal bridge replaced with a custom mahogany bridge in about 1975 by luthier Mike Stevens in college days in Austin, before Mike became in charge of the fender custom shop. That really changed the tone and Mike's set up was also amazing.



I think all the travel dried up the wood and gave it an amazing tone over time. I wore out the frets and had the neck refreted by a very skilled luthier using original sized frets.



2 winters ago I had it hanging near a humidifier for a month and I noticed the bridge starting to peel up on the back corners. I need to get it to a good luthier that will not muck it up, till then it sits in it's case, detuned and has fresh bovida pouches changed out every 6 months. Poor Gibby! It has been my best buddy for a long time and I am sure it will be with me to the end. I have quite a nice collection of awesome guitars that come and go, but the Gibby stays.



Not sure how to attach image for this site, looks like I need a URL??

Thanks for story!

For me, I use (download) the App “Tapatalk” on my I-Phone. It is a breeze to take pictures and post them on AGF. Maybe you can try it....

[Tony Burns]

All I can say its been a long time !

[PHJim]

In 1962, my brother Bob and I found a 1958 J-50 that neither of us could afford, but we chipped in and paid the $125 and took it home.
About 1969, I came home from a year long hitch-hiking trip overseas and was flat broke, so I sold my half to Bob. He still owns the Gibson and it's still a great guitar. It has had the adjustable bridge made into a fixed bridge, has new buttons on the Kluson tuners and had a re-fret about 6 or 7 years ago, but otherwise is all original. I still get to play it every time I visit.



Here is Bob playing his old J-50 in his dining room while I play his Epiphone 12-string.

[alien]

I own a 1988 Guild GF-60 maple, which I bought new that year. So 31 years, nearing 32. I think I bought it in the spring.





It’s only upgrade. Grover Sta-tites.



Sorry, I thought the headstock picture was bigger.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by alien

I own a 1988 Guild GF-60 maple, which I bought new that year. So 31 years, nearing 32. I think I bought it in the spring.





It’s only upgrade. Grover Sta-tites.



Sorry, I thought the headstock picture was bigger.

Sweet, lovely guitar!

I put Sta-tites on my D35 too, the originals were horrible.

[bluesman62]

A 1982 Yamaha 420s.Don't play it much anymore. It is a right handed guitar Im left handed but started out playing it upside down for my first 18 years.Then traded a boat for my strat (lefty) and learned all over again.Was not easy

[Neil K Walk]

I'm a bit of a pack rat. None of my guitars are especially valuable and I only play three of them with any regularity. My oldest is a 1973 (making it 46 years old) Kay folk size guitar that is pretty low quality and unplayable. I'm also the second owner of a 1973 Takamine that I've owned since 1991 but I dismantled it because of a lifting bridge, decaying neck angle and a split brace so it's unplayable as well. My oldest playable guitar is a 1989 Kramer electric that is pretty much a case queen but far from vintage. After that, my remaining guitars are 20, 13, 10 and 6. I play the 13 year old one - a Larrivee OM-03R - the most. It's aged quite well, though it's far from pristine in appearance. The way I see it, guitars are tools made to be played without any sort of a suppression of passion.

[MinorKey]

My fender dg5. Been with me 15 years, my daughter was a baby when I got it. Still my main guitar.